Written in the Stars
by Chelsea Di Marco Macbeth
Summary: Thor wasn't the only reason Loki attacked Earth. Hidden within the depths of his cold heart, another person still held his world in the palm of their hands. And it all began with a little mischief. Unfazed by his nonchalance, the girl gasped, "You can do magic!" He smirked and waved his hand, pulling a lily out of thin air and presenting it to her. "It's all in good fun."
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The young girl ran as fast and as far away as her legs could carry her, brushing past countless people in the bustling market place. Her face was streaked with tears and anyone who witnessed her running only huffed in annoyance, obviously not noticing her emotional state.

As the view of the town finally dissipated behind her, the little brunette finally slowed to a stop in front of a tiny stream, knowing that she would remain undisturbed for a few hours. Kneeling down, she placed her hands over her face and wept, not bothering about the way she looked anymore.

She must have remained in that crouched position for at least a few hours because when she finally looked up, she saw that the night sky was already creeping in upon the beautiful horizon. Tucking a few strands of wispy brown hair behind her ear, she leaned forward towards the river intending to gather some water onto her palms.

However, just as she began to lean forward, she felt a hard push on her back which resulted in her falling into the stream instead with a loud 'splash' resounding throughout the forest.

Shock had been the understatement of the century in regards to what the girl felt when she first emerged – her body soaked to the core. But as realization of what had just occurred sunk in, her reaction was unprecedented.

She burst out in joyous laughter.

"That's new," said a voice, startling her.

She stood up and looked around the forest, wondering if she had imagined the sound.

"On your left," whispered the voice again, making her jump slightly before she turned towards the source of the sound.

A tall lanky boy about her age stood right in front of her with a cheeky grin etched onto his face. He had jet black hair that was sleeked back smoothly and startlingly contrasting bright green eyes

"What's new?" wondered the girl as she attempted to dry her hair by squeezing it with her tiny hands.

"Your reaction," clarified the boy with twinkling eyes, "Most people would have screamed in shock or would have been morbidly upset. You just acted like it felt liberating."

"You were the reason I fell?" she asked, surprised.

The boy clasped his hands behind his back and walked towards her in a poised manner that made him seem like he was of royalty.

"Perhaps," he replied but then he looked at her with a glint in his eyes again, "Perhaps not."

Unfazed by his nonchalance, the girl gasped, "You can do magic!"

He smirked and waved his hand, pulling a lily out of thin air and presenting it to her. "It's all in good fun!"

Instead of taking the lily from him immediately, the girl beamed at him and repeated the same waving motion that he did. However, a small harmless dagger appeared in her hands instead of a flower. "I can too!"

She took the lily from the boy's palm and placed it behind her ear whilst handing the dagger to him in exchange, stunning him. Then she grinned and asked, "What's your name?"

The boy was still in obvious shock as he had not expected to come across another magic user. A girl about his age nonetheless. Magic was a rare trait amongst the Aesir and was difficult to learn. The fact that this girl in front of him could replicate the spell he did with ease implied that she was adept in it and almost on par with him.

"L-Loki," he stuttered out. "A-and yours?"

"Loki," repeated the girl as she tested the name on her tongue. Liking the way it sounded, she turned back to look at him before grinning happily, her distress and grief earlier completely forgotten at the moment.

"I'm Galadriel," answered the girl, pausing for a split second. "But I prefer Ellie."

"Ellie," repeated Loki, testing the sound of her name like she did with his and glanced at her, taking in her appearance clearly for the first time that evening.

The first thing he noticed about Ellie was the fact that she was unlike any other Aesir female. Whilst most females were light haired and tall, Ellie was petite with mahogany brown hair. Whilst most females had clear skin and large eyes, she had the smallest hazel green eyes he had ever seen and numerous brown spots splayed across her nose.

Freckles – he remembered the Midgardian term for it. It was another feature which was uncommon amongst the Aesir and Loki wondered if she was perhaps Vanir, like Hogun was or of a mix in between. Ellie's appearance was exotic, as was her name but she was undeniably beautiful. And Loki could only stare at her in bewilderment, wondering if it was even possible to meet someone else who was different like him.

"What business does a fair maiden like you have out here in the middle of the forest?" inquired Loki curiously, acting like he had not scrutinized her at all.

Suddenly, Ellie's bright smiling face turned ashen and grim as she was once again assaulted by the images of the events that had happened earlier.

"I wanted to escape for a few hours," murmured Ellie as she looked to the ground. "My mother just passed away because of the Spanish Influenza."

Glancing at Loki's mildly confused face, Ellie gave a small smile which did not reach her eyes and explained further, "The Spanish Influenza is a mortal illness. My mother was human."

Suddenly, it all made sense. Ellie's unique physique and the manner in which she spoke was a result of her Midgardian heritage. She wasn't Vanir like he thought she was and Loki almost felt bad for upsetting her.

Embarrassed and at a loss for words, Loki reached out one arm and placed it on Ellie's shoulder awkwardly, "I'm sorry."

Ellie felt tears burn at the corner of her eyes as she shrugged, "Don't be, it was her choice. She didn't want to live life as an immortal anyway."

Loki could hear the hurt and anger behind her tone and he felt an emotion he had not felt in a long time stir within him. Concern. Loki was concerned for a girl he had just met and that astounded him.

Normally, he would have laughed at someone else's misery.

"I'm sure she loved you very much," comforted Loki sincerely as he took her hands in his right before he was thrown back a few feet by Ellie engulfing him in a tight hug as she sniffed non-stop.

It was uncomfortable, to say the least.

The only other person who had held him this way was his mother so Loki was unsure of what to do. He also felt his clothing get drenched with Ellie's tears and wet clothes but he did not have the heart to pry her off of him at that moment whilst knowing how vulnerable she was. It was strange how out of character he was being around this girl as he let Ellie sob, undisturbed.

They stood there for a few good minutes before Ellie finally let go of Loki and recomposed herself. Blushing profusely, Ellie apologized for her blatant behaviour, "Sorry, I didn't mean to cover you in my snot."

"Snot?" asked Loki with a raised eyebrow, making Ellie blush a deeper red at how she lost her ability to speak eloquently.

"Sorry, I meant my tears and mucus. I'm so used to speaking with human terms with my mother."

"Interesting," mused Loki, deep in thought.

Just when Ellie thought that he was going to tell her to go away, like many others did before when they found out she was half mortal, Loki did something neither of them even expected.

He engulfed Ellie in another hug. "It is quite alright. I understand that you are hurting."

With the tension and depressing atmosphere lifted, Ellie closed her eyes and hugged him back. A permanent smile was etched onto her face as she thought of the first friendship she had forged since the discovery of her heritage and magic ability.

She had a feeling that her life was about to change for the better.

_Author's note_

_Hey guys! I decided to give fanfiction writing another go and I hope you like the idea of this story _

_It was basically just an idea that had been sitting around in my head for days and since I had time today, I thought that I should just get it out._

_As usual, I do not own the Marvel/Thor universe, sadly. But I hope that you enjoyed this chapter _

_Reviews/feedbacks motivate me to update quicker and I'd love to make improvements based on your suggestions so please don't hesitate to message me! _

_Thanks for reading!_

_-Gabby_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Loki and Ellie spent the entire night lying by the stream next to each other in silence, detached from everything else going on in the world around them. The dagger that Ellie made for Loki was now transformed by him with the aid of a simple spell into a dagger shaped pendant he wore around his neck like a prized possession while the lily Loki had made for Ellie still laid on her left ear.

They'd spent the past few hours learning more about each other under the beautiful illuminating night sky of Asgard and it made their friendship seem more like it was years old instead of hours. Both of them had bonded over their love of books and magic, as well as their shared memories of bitterness.

Loki admitted to Ellie about how he had always felt like he was living in Thor's shadow whilst Ellie procrastinated alongside him about the unfairness of the world. She expressed all her bitterness in regards to the fragility of mortal lives and her mother's refusal to be made Aesir to Loki, who laid beside her holding her hand in comfort while he listened intently.

They were both barely adolescents so the feelings of affections they felt towards each other were foreign to both of them but they both knew that it was significant. It was something they would not forget.

Despite the long conversations they had overnight, the topic of Loki's status as prince never came up and Loki was glad. He was glad to have someone like him for who he was and not his status of nobility.

"I don't want to go back," murmured Ellie with tired eyes as she gazed at the array of pastel colours overlaying the sky, signifying the brink of dawn.

Turning to gaze at his new friend, Loki smiled sadly, "I don't either. However, I am certain that our parents are most likely fretting over our disappearances."

"I wish that we could stay like this and forget about everything else. Wouldn't it be awesome if all of our worries disappeared?" proclaimed Ellie, earning her a chuckle from Loki at the Midgardian term 'awesome'.

"It would certainly be liberating," chuckled Loki, lightly.

When Loki did not speak further, Ellie nudged him gently with her arm. "Loki?"

Sighing, Loki sat up and brought Ellie up with him as well. Taking both of her hands into hers, he looked at her, serious. "Ellie, I wish to pursue this friendship with you after we leave. May I see you again after this?

Stunned, Ellie simply stared at him with her mouth wide open. Mistaking Ellie's silence for rejection, Loki felt his heart clench and he continued on, nervous and hurt, "Of course, if you do not feel the same wa – "

Ellie realised Loki's insecurity straight away and she moved her hands to cover his mouth as soon as she regained her senses. This action made Loki smile as he realised what it meant.

"Of course, I want us to be friends!" beamed Ellie before she furrowed her eyebrows, "But would meeting not be a challenge though?"

Filled with exhilaration at Ellie's acceptance of him, Loki grinned widely and replied, "We could meet here every three days of course!"

Upon seeing Ellie's bright dimpled smile of approval, he continued, "And we could practise and teach each other magic! And you must teach me the ways of Midgard and I could tell you about the bleakness of royalty – "

Pausing midway, Loki's eyes widened when he realised that he had revealed himself to be of royalty in the midst of his excitement.

He spared a glance at Ellie and to see her reaction and once again, it was unprecedented.

Ellie smiled at him, unfazed by his revelation and instead, she nodded her head in agreement as though he did not reveal anything big at all, "It's alright, I know that the royals can be rather pompous and full of themselves at times."

Still in disbelief, Loki asked, "You're not going to ask how I'm related to royalty?"

"Hey, if you don't want to say it, then I'm not going push. Besides, I'm friends with you because I like you as a person and not because of your background. When you want to talk, I'll be here."

"Are you, as the Midgardians put it, '_for real?'_ Are you really not part of my lucid imagination?" wondered Loki aloud.

Giggling slightly, Ellie shook her head playfully and replied, "Nope, I'm just silly ole' me and I am real."

Then she raised her eyebrow in challenge at him, "Besides, you don't know anything about my family either. How would you know that I am not related to royalty?"

Loki opened his mouth to reply but closed it again when he realised that she was right. He didn't know. There were too many people of royalty in court and whilst his father was king, there was still a fair amount of high ranking figures that were also held high in regal by the Aesir.

Heaving a sigh, Loki raised his hands in mock defeat, earning him another bright dimpled smile from Ellie. It made his heart flutter and he realised that he wanted to be the one that made her smile.

Not being known as the mischief maker for nothing, Loki's gaze then turned playful and he winked at Ellie. "I do know for certain that I would not have forgotten the face of an enchanting beauty like you."

Blushing wildly, Ellie covered her face with her hands – she always did that whenever she felt her face get warm. "Flirt."

Sensing Ellie's embarrassment, Loki pried her hands away from her face and entwined one of them with his before he pulled Ellie towards the direction of civilisation, dropping the subject for the moment. "Come on, we really should get going."

Glad to rid of her blush, Ellie followed Loki's lead carefully over the rocks and tree roots on the forest ground, not wanting to incur any accidents. Loki glanced at Ellie's face of concentration as she sidestepped another rock and he could not resist teasing her again. "I meant every word I said just now, you know."

Grinning cheekily but sincerely, Loki insisted, "I mean it. Really."

Just like that, the feeling of warmth enveloped Ellie's face again just as the sound of a loud 'smack!" was heard followed by Loki's pitiful mock whimpering of pain as they ventured on towards the city.

The playful banter and wonderful hours spent together in that day made Loki feel the happiest he had ever felt in years and as he gazed at Ellie from the side of his peripheral vision, he knew that she would be the reason for many more happier days in the future. Suddenly, being hidden behind Thor did not seem like such a bad idea after all.

Suddenly, his future did not seem so bleak after all.

_Author's note_

_Yay so two updates in a day! __ hoped you guys enjoyed the chapter! _

_My updates will most likely be regular but they would remain about this length for each chapter unless something really significant happens haha. Let me know what you guys think please! Constructive criticism are always welcomed! _

_In case you were wondering, Loki and Ellie are both about 12/13 and their relationship right now is mostly friendship bordering on slight romantic affection towards each other. In the next chapter, we get to see a time skip __ and their relationship start to evolve a lot more ;). _

_Thank you for reading!_

_-Gabby _


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Where have you been, young lady?"

Startled, Ellie froze.

She was about midway on her ascent up the stairs and she honestly thought that her father was out dealing with her mother's funeral. Being human, Ellie's mother had requested upon her dying breath to be buried on Earth, in her hometown in New York to be precise – which Ellie thought was extremely selfish of her, seeing as how it denied Ellie the opportunity to even visit her mother's grave.

She had not expected him to be home so early.

Turning her body to face the source of the voice, Ellie was met with the sight of her haggard father. Ellie's father, who was indeed a high ranking noble of court, looked nothing like he usually did in all his glory and armour. Instead of looking all mighty and ready for war, the loss of her mother had taken its toll on him.

His usual deep emerald eyes were now blank and he had deep purple eye bags under them. His unruly blonde hair was now even more unkempt than usual and he seemed like he had not bathed in a month instead of a day.

Then again, it was possible, thought Ellie as she eyed the attire he wore – it resembled the one he was wearing since the beginning of the week when her mother's condition took a turn for the worst.

Ellie's father looked exhausted.

"I was out in the forest," murmured Ellie.

"Did you not think before you ran out right after your mother's passing?" demanded her father angrily, though his voice came out hoarsely flat instead.

"I wanted to get away," began Ellie right before she was cut off by her father.

"You should have been more considerate! I spent the entire night looking for you!"

Bowing her head down, she let him continue. "I had to deal with you mother's last wishes and it was unnecessary for you to worsen the situation – "

"You're not the only one mourning!" burst out Ellie, extremely upset with tears streaming down her face.

Shell-shocked by his daughter's outburst, Ellie's father took a deep calming breath and walked towards her to pull her into his embrace. Her outburst had been a wake-up call. Laying his chin on her head, he breathed her in and closed his eyes, letting both of them drown in their sorrows together. Mutual understanding was prominent between father and daughter. "I know."

Neither of them brought up their argument again during the rest of the week. Instead, they both coped with Ellie's mother's death in the only way they knew how.

In silence.

Ellie only managed to see Loki the following week during their supposed second meeting even though it was only her first. She had not managed to sneak away to the forest three days ago as the hurt due to her mother's death was still raw in the household, particularly for her father. She did not want to leave him alone to suffer in silence and so, she had forsaken her meeting with Loki to take care of him.

Bursting through the clearing, Ellie panted profusely and darted her eyes left and right, searching for Loki. She had no means to inform him of her impending absence three days ago so she was unsure if he would even turn up this time, seeing as she had stood him up previously.

She could only hope that he had not lost faith in their friendship.

Dejected when she saw no sign of Loki anywhere, Ellie sighed and began to make a move back to her house, obviously disappointed that her first friendship ended so abruptly. However, a small gust of wind blew behind her and ruffled her hair, making her halt in her steps.

Hope that Loki had indeed shown up swelled within her right before she shook her head slightly and brushed the incident off as nothing important, convincing herself that she overthinking again. She endeavoured to move forward again right before she was halted once more. This time, it was because of the figure standing in front of her with arms crossed across his chest. Loki was not pleased.

"So you came, after all," stated Loki flatly. His eyes were cold and his face was void of any emotion – an expression that Ellie was all too familiar with.

Ellie took a small tentative step towards him.

When he made no indication of disapproval, she continued walking until they were barely a foot apart. "I'm sorry."

Loki's cold expression did not falter and he asked smoothly, "Why?"

"My father has not been well," murmured Ellie. "He is a broken man and I was worried that he would not be able to take care of himself if I left."

"Could you not have informed me with a simple messaging spell?" inquired Loki with an eyebrow raised. "Or perhaps with a messenger bird? Instead of making me wait here for hours before it dawned upon me that you were not going to show up?"

Swallowing her saliva, Ellie flushed with embarrassment, "I – I did not think of using magic. And I couldn't send a bird because I didn't know where you lived."

Loki's eyes widened at Ellie's admission and he mentally berated himself for not telling her where he lived. His stomach lurched.

Taking Loki's silence as unresolved anger, Ellie continued to explain hysterically with downcast eyes, "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to stand you up! I would've informed you if I could. I really would have! Please, I don't want to lose you, Loki."

Upon seeing Ellie distraught face, Loki's eyes softened and his anger diminished. There was something about her that made him unable to stay angry for too long.

He reached forward to embrace her tightly in acceptance of her apology before he returned one of his own. "You're not going to lose me. I must apologise as well, it was an unintended mistake on my part for not giving you my address and I should have realised that your father needed you. Can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me as well?"

Ellie clutched Loki even tighter in happiness and replied, "There's nothing to forgive, Loki. I'm just ecstatic that you still want to be my friend!"

A foreign feeling rose in the pit of his stomach whilst Loki was locked in a tight embrace with Ellie. Was it joy? It was strange but he could not deny the fact that it felt nice. And when they finally broke apart, Loki felt a pang in his heart at the loss of contact with her but he was contented enough just by seeing the exuberant smile Ellie was exhibiting.

They spent a few minutes just staring at each other right before a mischievous but nervous smile appeared on Loki's face. "I have something to confess."

"What?" asked Ellie nervously, biting her lip.

"I'm the crowned prince of Asgard."

A small gasp of surprise escaped Ellie's mouth right before she managed to compose herself. Sure, she knew that he was of noble blood. However, the possibility of him being a prince never once occurred to her.

A small smile lit up her face as she realised what his words meant. They would most definitely be seeing each other more often than none in court as they get older and Ellie was excited at that prospect.

Grinning, Ellie's eyes twinkled with mischief, "I have something to confess too."

"What?" whispered Loki, purposely repeating what Ellie had said earlier to tease her.

"My last name is Casimir. I'm the daughter of Lancelot Casimir," whispered Ellie in reply. She paused for a few seconds for added effect and dramatically glanced left and right before saying, "Shh…don't tell anyone."

This time, Loki was unable to control his reaction. He threw his head back in laughter while his head spun with happiness and relief.

Lancelot Casimir was the highest ranking General of the Army and he was held high in prestige by Odin as a valued member of court. To find out that Ellie was his daughter was like lifting a huge weight off his shoulders. He knew where the Casimir manor was located and since Sir Lancelot often had meetings in the royal palace, Loki knew that he would definitely be able to see Ellie more often.

Loki only managed to get a hold of himself when Ellie slapped him hard on his back. "What's so funny?"

Putting on a straight face, he turned towards her and held out his hand, "Nothing. I have a feeling that we will be seeing much more of each other, fair lady."

Catching on to his ruse, Ellie winked and smiled brightly, "My sentiments exactly."

True to his word, Ellie and Loki saw each other almost every day for the next couple of years.

Whenever her father had to go to the Palace for business, Ellie would tag along as with her mother gone, no one else was available to take care of her except for her father. Not that she minded. Whilst her father met up with the other royals and nobles, Ellie sought refuge in Loki's company.

Behind closed doors, they would practice spells of different magnitudes with each other. On days where Ellie felt lazy, the two of them would sneak off to the clearing of their first meeting and simply lie there for hours till nightfall, sharing random thoughts and experiences with each other. On days when Loki felt playful, the duo would hide beneath the kitchen tables and devise ways to trick people. Some days, they would put up illusions of revolting creatures and insects into the food and watch for the reaction of their victims – most of which were snobbish looking socialites, before bursting out in muffled laughter when their reactions preceded their expectations.

Their friendship grew stronger with each passing day, each passing month and with each passing year. They were each other's one and only confidant. They were best friends. Even though Ellie had never been officially introduced to the royal family and Thor's friends, she was perfectly okay with it. She was fine with their friendship being under wraps because she knew that as long as she had him, it was enough.

Similarly, Loki was not keen on introducing Ellie to his family either. Not because he was ashamed of her, but because he did not want Thor to take the only person that mattered away from him. He wanted to keep Ellie to himself as she was the only true friend he had ever had. Their meetings continued on in secret, unknown to everyone but three – Loki, Ellie and the all-seeing Aesir, Heimdall.

Heimdall watched the dark prince come out of his shell under the care of the half mortal and he was pleased with the changes she brought forth within him. Heimdall decided, for the moment, that Loki's little friend would remain a secret and he watched over them with a small smile etched onto his usual emotionless face.

The years that flew by were kind to both of them as the young lanky boy grew into a handsome young man while the pretty young girl blossomed into a beautiful, exotic looking young woman.

As their strength and proficiency in both knowledge and sorcery grew, their feelings did too.

_Author's note_

_Hey guys! Here's a slightly longer chapter __ I hope you liked it and thanks for reading!_

_The next chapter will most likely be up tomorrow and it'll definitely skip forward to the time set slightly before the events of Thor. Perhaps with a few tweaks in the ending even ;) _

_Please review to leave feedback cause I'd really love to hear what you guys think! It would also help me improve as well __ Thank you so much!_

_-Gabby_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The doors to the weaponry room flew open with a loud 'bang' and a flustered Ellie appeared, panting slightly. Her eyes glinted with excitement and as soon as she caught sight of the person she was looking for, Ellie burst off into a sprint.

"Loki! I've managed to master the illusion spell! Finally!" exclaimed Ellie proudly as she ran towards the display of daggers where Loki was situated at. As soon as she reached him, she started rattling off about the events that occurred prior to this.

In the midst of her excitement, Ellie had not noticed that Loki was not alone. Thor, Sif and the Warriors Three were gathered nearby when their ears perked up at the sound of a feminine voice calling out to Loki and they wondered who that was. Loki was not known for having any friends besides them – if they were even considered as such, much less a female one.

With their curiosity piqued, the five of them walked over to where Loki was at and were pleasantly surprised to see him in a tight embrace with a dark haired female. They were unable to see her face as her back was facing them but her presence alone made their jaws drop. At a loss for words, Fandral actually slapped himself to see if he was dreaming because there was absolutely no way that Loki, the God of Mischief and self-proclaimed loner was hugging another female besides his mother. No possible way at all. At least, not until that moment.

Loki was the first to pull away from their embrace and a huge scowl broke out on his face when he noticed the presence of Thor and his annoying friends whilst Ellie, who felt the tension rise within the room, whipped around to see the cause of Loki's mood change.

She was startled by the group of intimidating looking Aesirs right in front of her. She observed that they were obviously warriors based on their huge armours and she nearly peed in her pants when she saw how huge and muscular one of them was. He had blonde locks and the most prominent thing about him was his red cape.

Then, Ellie's eyes flickered over to the weapon his was holding in his hand– which was a hammer, and a small gasp escaped her mouth as realisation struck. He was Thor. Loki's brother.

Scanning over the rest of the warriors, Ellie began to match the names and descriptions Loki had given her to their individual faces. Volstagg was probably the rotund looking man, Fandral was no doubt the blonde one, Hogun – the Asian and of course, Sif – the dark haired female there.

A deep blush rose over her cheeks as she wondered how long all of them had been standing there. Had they witnessed her entire exchange with Loki? She hoped not, because she was always very open with Loki and their interactions daily would have bordered on improper to strangers because they were rather affectionate as friends.

At the thought of Loki, she looked at him from the corner of her eye, wondering what he was feeling about the entire situation. His face was passive and minutes of complete silence passed as Thor and the others scrutinized the two of them, most likely wondering who Ellie was.

Sif noticed the girl standing beside Loki place her hand on the small of his back and what astounded her was the fact that Loki seemed to relax slightly at her touch. It was evident that they both cared deeply for each other because the brunette showed no signs of fear whenever she gazed at Loki, which was rare – because his bad reputation preceded him and often had people quivering at the mere sight of him.

"Brother! You did not tell us that you had been courting anyone!" exclaimed Thor boisterously, breaking the deafening silence.

"Yeah who knew that Loki even had it in him?" commented Fandral as well as he eyed Ellie from head to toe. She was only the second Aesir female he had ever met with dark hair, Sif being the first as her hair colour was a repercussion of Loki's mischief rather than a natural trait and he wondered if she was of two races because her eyes were about the same size as Hoguns.

Noticing Fandral's wandering gaze, Loki felt his stomach drop and pure, unadulterated anger course through his veins. However, he reined his fury in and turned to address Thor instead, "First of all, I am not courting her. The reason you do not know of her existence is because you are the most dim-witted person I know."

Slightly calmer with the urge to send a dagger through Fandral's heart slightly suppressed, Loki spoke coldly, "And Fandral, I am sure the young maiden does not appreciate you staring at her like she is nothing more than a common whore."

"Loki!" gasped Ellie gently, astonished.

He did not respond but it was obvious that he heard her as his eyes flickered over to her for a split second before resuming its original stare on Fandral. The idea of someone else liking Ellie did not sit well with him, especially if it was someone like Frandral. And with Thor present, Loki was even more on edge as he felt like Thor was going to steal her from him, like he did with everything else. It was extremely frustrating for him to remain calm when all he could think of was ways to drag Ellie far away from their presence.

"My apologies, fair maiden. Your looks seem not to be of complete Aesir origings and I was simply trying to distinguish if perhaps, that was true. It was not in my intention to make you feel uncomfortable," said Fandral sincerely.

"Yes, which realm do you hail from, Lady Ellie?" asked Hogun, who had not spoken yet, curiously. He wondered if she was Vanir as she looked partly of Asian descent.

Ellie waved Fandral's apology off with a gentle smile. "It is alright. I am sure it was unintentional."

"Like I believe him," muttered Loki under his breath, earning him a roll of Ellie's eyes at his petulant behaviour before she looked to Hogun to reply his question.

"I am of Asgard," said Ellie, pausing shortly before she amended her statement, "Well, partly."

"What do you mean?"

"My father is Aesir but my mother is Midgardian. I have always lived on Asgard but I have been to Midgard numerous times and am well educated in both sides of my heritage," explained Ellie.

"A half Midgardian!" exclaimed Sif. "I thought that it is forbidden for any Aesir to have fleeting relationships with Mortals?"

Ellie shook her head slightly, "The law does not condone fleeting relations with Mortals but it is alright for them to be joined in matrimony. The relationship my parents had was real, not some fling."

"Forgive us if we have upset you in any way, Lady Ellie," apologised Hogun when he noticed how emotional she was getting. "But you must understand that it is uncommon for Midgardians to have relationships with Aesirs, and even rarer for them to be serious and made immortal."

Flashing them a shaky smile which did not reach her eyes, Ellie attempted to recompose herself after she waved off his apology. The mention of her mother stirred up some unpleasant memories and she felt her heart clench tightly like it was about to fall apart. Ellie placed her hand around her midsection like it was her only lifeline and drew in long even breaths consecutively to calm herself down.

Deep concern for Ellie overtook Loki when he noticed her glazed eyes and sore attempt to remain unaffected by the mentioning of her mother. He knew that they were all treading on dangerous waters as it seemed as though the slightest thing could cause her to fall apart.

Wrapping one arm around her waist, Loki whispered, "Are you alright?"

Ellie took in another shaky breath, nodded her head, feeling slightly better and gave him a weak smile. However, the calm was short lived as Thor had to open his big mouth once more. "Yes, your mother sounds extraordinary! Would we ever have the pleasure of meeting her?"

Despite knowing that Thor did not know about her mother's death, Ellie could not hold the tears back anymore. Mortified, upset and unable to take the questions anymore, Ellie did the only thing she knew at times like this.

She ran.

When Loki finally registered Ellie's exit a second later, he cursed under his breath because she was no longer anywhere in sight. Throwing Thor, Sif and the Warriors Three the darkest and dirtiest glare he'd ever mustered, Loki teleported out of the room and endeavoured to search for Ellie.

The process was draining and arduous as every place that Loki visited in hopes to find Ellie would turn out to be in vain. By nightfall, he had combed through two thirds of the palace and was exhausted. Ellie was like him very much, if she did not want to be found, all traces of her would cease to exist. Deciding that she would come to him when she was ready, Loki retired to his quarters, defeated.

However, when he entered his chambers, Loki was startled by an extremely dishevelled looking Ellie curled up on his bed. Relieved but slightly cautious, he moved to sit at the edge of his bed next to her.

She glanced up at him with droopy eyelids and a tear stained face and smiled softly, "I've been waiting for you."

"And I've been looking for you," replied Loki gently. He rested his palm on her rosy cheek, wiping the remnants of dried tears off her face.

"I'm sorry," murmured Ellie. "I didn't mean to be such a baby and cry at the mere mention of my mother."

Loki felt his he heart clench upon seeing the guilt on Ellie's face. It was as though she truly blamed herself for running away. She acted like it was wrong of her to be upset over her mother's death and he wanted to beat Thor up even more now. Ellie's pure and selfless nature touched him immensely and he wanted nothing more than to protect her from everything tainted in this world. If Thor and his bunch of frivolous friends did anything else to upset her, he would not hold back. Loki's feelings towards Ellie grew stronger with each passing day and as he gazed upon her beautiful face, he knew that he was a goner.

"Shh…there is absolutely nothing wrong with being upset, you have nothing to apologise for," crooned Loki softly as he noticed her struggling to stay awake. He continued, "You should get some rest, we can talk tomorrow morning."

Knowing that Loki was right, Ellie succumbed to her senses and closed her eyes. However, before she was completely knocked out, she mumbled, "Thank you. Love you, Loki."

A huge smile graced his features at her words right before he came to the conclusion that she probably meant it in terms of friendship. Sadness overwhelmed him at that revelation and he wondered why he was so affected by the thought of merely having a platonic relationship with Ellie. Was he falling for her?

The concept of love was so foreign to him but as he leaned down to place a brief kiss on Ellie's forehead, he knew that it was the only explanation. He was falling in love with her. Would she feel the same? Loki wondered, uncertain.

Only time would tell, he decided.

Even though she was extremely unkempt with her hair sticking out in all directions and a blotchy tear stained face, Ellie was still the most beautiful woman to Loki and he vowed to do everything in his power to make her the happiest person in the world.

_Author's note_

_Hey guys __ Hope you guys liked the chapter and thanks for reading! Hopefully it gave you more insight on Ellie's parentage. We'll get to see Loki and Ellie's relationship develop more in the next chapter! _

_Please do leave some feedback cause I'd really love to hear what all of you think and what events you want me to put in the story! _

_Till next time!_

_-Gabby_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: **

**Hey guys**

**Sorry for the late update but I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's slightly longer to make up for the late update cause I had to study for my exams!**

Chapter Five

The midday's sun rays penetrated the curtains in Loki's room, illuminating the entire silhouette of the bed linens and waking Ellie up from her deep slumber. Bright light clouded her vision and she blinked her eyes repeatedly in an arduous struggle to get rid of her sleepy stupor. It took a few minutes but when she was finally awake, comprehension dawned upon her as the events of the day before came flooding back into her mind.

_Her meeting with Thor, the Warriors Three and Lady Sif…_

_Her running away and breaking down…seeking refuge in Loki's room…_

_Loki comforting her…lulling her to sleep…_

Ellie's face flushed as she recalled the words she'd said to Loki right before she dozed off. Blurting out she loved Loki had been an unconscious decision and it confused her greatly as to why she had even done so in the first place.

Loki was her confidante and best friend, but love? It seemed a little too extreme at the moment. Did she love him? Yes.

Was she in love with him? Ellie doubted so but she knew that her feelings towards him extended beyond platonic friendship the moment she met him. They just fit together.

As she rose to rise from bed, Loki appeared a few feet away from her dressed in his usual regal green battle wear, looking every bit the part of royalty.

"Aren't you an early riser," teased Loki, his eyes raking over Ellie's form subtly. Her hair was in absolute disarray with strands sticking out wildly in all directions whilst the gown she wore the night before was crinkled and creased._ Positively stunning,_ thought Loki as he gazed into her eyes.

"Shut up," groaned Ellie, blushing. The remnants of her thoughts on Loki did not dissipate with the appearance of the devil himself and she had to subtly pinch the skin of her elbow just to jolt her mind and distract it from any romantic sentiments towards him. It would not be wise of her to ruin their friendship over what she concluded to be a fleeting schoolgirl crush, not to mention the fact that morbid embarrassment would also most likely be awaiting her should her feelings not be reciprocated.

Her thoughts and worries were disrupted by the sudden extreme cold and wetness she felt all over her body. Looking down to assess the damage, Ellie scowled deeply. "What the hell was that for?"

"I was deeply concerned when you did not respond to my valiant efforts to communicate with you," replied Loki nonchalantly, hiding his smile.

"So you felt the _valiant need_ to douse me in cold water?" growled Ellie as she moved her hands fluidly over her dress to perform a drying spell. Along with the wave of her hand, the water droplets rose from the once wet garment into the air, creating what seemed like a suspended mini whirlpool before vanishing with a 'pop' sound with a snap of her fingers.

"It's all in good fun," smirked Loki, citing his favourite phrase as though it justified his actions. Sensing Ellie's growing agitation, Loki proceeded on, "Now, my dear, you should best get dressed. It is almost half past noon and we have business to attend to in the banquet hall."

"Business?" questioned Ellie, her gaze suspicious. Weren't they going to talk about what happened yesterday?

"Yes, it seems that my dim-witted blabbering excuse for a brother wasted no time at all recounting the events of yesterday to my mother with his big exaggerative mouth," said Loki, pausing shortly to let his words sink in before he continued. "And now, it seems that my mother wishes to meet, according to Thor, 'the woman who has enraptured me completely'."

"_What!"_ sputtered Ellie as her heart dropped. "Your mother? As in, _the Queen of Asgard?_"

"Yes, we are to have a meal with her in approximately fifteen minutes," stated Loki matter-of-factly.

"_How are you so calm about this? Aren't you the least bit worried about what she's going to say?"_

Noticing Ellie's wide eyed face, Loki chuckled and digressed, "Perhaps it is best for you to get changed now. Certainly you would prefer to bestow a good impression upon _the Queen of Asgard_. We may continue our discussion on the way but I will leave you be for now."

As soon as Loki finished speaking, he clasped his hand together on his back, turned around and strode towards the door of his chambers, intending to give Ellie some privacy. However, before he could fully exit the room, he heard Ellie call out his name.

When he turned around expecting to meet her gaze, he was met with a cold slimy substance upon his face instead. Loki brought forth one hand to wipe off part of the substance covering his eyes and he realised that it was another form of water, it was ice.

He had no doubt in his mind as to who the culprit was but instead of feeling anger, Loki felt a small smile tug at the corner of his lips in spite of the vile liquid all over his face. Even after ten years of friendship, she continued to astound him with her action s. _Well played, Ellie. Well played._

Ellie had a bright smug smile on her face as she skipped alongside Loki on the way to the dining hall due to the fact that Loki's armour was still wet from the devious plan of revenge she had indulged him in. She had enchanted the snowball she'd thrown at him earlier to be impervious to any attempts of removal and she struggled to suppress the urge to giggle at Loki's shocked expression when he realised that he had to walk around like this the entire day.

It was amusing to see him so muddled. Of course, she had no idea that Loki was just humouring her. When Loki discovered the minor enchantment on the ice on him, he knew it was nothing he could not fix. However, he decided to let Ellie relish in her pride and glee for the day as he knew that such feats of magic did not come as easily to her as it did to him in spite of her vast capability. The radiant dimpled smile upon her face did wonders to him as well, even if it was at his expense and he relished in the fact that he was the one to put it there.

Ellie and Loki made their way into the dining banquet room, past the huge gold doors with four guards stationed beside them. The beauty and grandeur of the royal palace never ceased to amaze Ellie each time even though it was not her visit there. She almost felt herself inferior and paling in comparison to everything and everyone there.

As she gazed at the figure sitting at the end of the dining table, Ellie felt herself at a loss for words. The woman had gorgeous caramel hair pinned up in a braid and she wore a cream coloured gown made of silk that seemed to be of the finest quality. Her posture was elegant and poised and Ellie felt out of place with her clumsy footsteps as they neared her.

When they were about a few feet away from her, the woman stood up and embraced Loki. Ellie had almost forgotten he was even with her at all and realisation sunk in that the woman was his mother – the Queen.

"Loki, my son, it so wonderful to see you this morning," said Frigga, smiling warmly as she gazed upon her son's face. "Goodness gracious, what happened to your armour!"

Smirking, Loki glanced at Ellie from the corner of his eyes briefly to convey his mischief before he answered, "Sorry mother, I was faced with a certain mishap earlier when ah – my dear friend, Galadriel, decided to vent her frustrations upon me."

Ellie's eyes widened tremendously and she felt her entire body almost quake in fear. What the hell was Loki thinking throwing her under the bus like that? She had never met the Queen before and she almost fainted when she realised how bad her first impression on the Queen was turning out to be. Perhaps dying inside of a hole was a good way to go right now.

Gulping, Ellie stuttered, "I – er, your Majesty – erm,"

Frigga transferred her warm gaze onto the young woman – Ellie, and smiled gently as she took in the sight of her son's companion. She was obviously different from normal aesirs and undoubtedly a beautiful young woman, but what made Frigga happy was the unwavering acceptance Ellie had towards Loki for who he was. Despite Ellie's nervous demeanour, Frigga could see the affection she had for Loki.

Reaching out, Frigga took Ellie in a motherly embrace as well. "It is wonderful to meet you as well, dear Ellie, if I may address you as such."

"Of c-course! And I, you, your highness," sputtered Ellie incoherently. She was so overwhelmed by how nice and pleasant the Queen was treating her even though she didn't know her but she also felt a painful pang in her heart at the familiarity of the Queen's hug as it was a painful reminder of her late mother.

Pulling away, Frigga took Ellie's hand in hers. "Call me Frigga, my dear. There is no need for formalities, you are amongst family here."

"Thank you, your highn – , I mean Frigga. I don't know what to say," choked out Ellie, star struck. Frigga looked even more gorgeous up close and it was evident that she had aged gracefully. Loki obviously inherited his good looks from his mother.

"It is alright, I understand that it can be quite overwhelming to meet new people. And of course, it does not help if Loki makes any jests to jeopardise my first impression of you," said Frigga as she raised her thin eyebrow at her son, who was trying his best to look innocent. "Isn't that right, Loki?"

"I was only jesting, mother," grinned Loki. Then he poked Ellie in the stomach to tickle her, "But it true that the mess you see on my armour is the fault of this one."

"That might be true but I am certain that it must have been the repercussion of your mischief again," countered Frigga as she placed both hands on her hips. Ellie attempted to mask her erupting giggles with a few coughs as the sight of Loki cowering under his mother was indeed a sight to behold.

Deflated, Loki held his hands up in mock surrender and confessed, "I may or may not have soaked her in cold water."

"Loki!" gasped Frigga.

Ellie already predicted Loki's reply right before the words flew out of his mouth.

"It's all in good fun, mother," said Loki with a knowing smirk.

Shaking her head, Frigga sighed and turned to Ellie instead, "You must be hungry, Ellie. Let us eat and we may continue our talk as we do so."

Gesturing to the two chairs opposite where she had been sitting, Frigga guided Ellie towards one chair as Loki took a seat in the one next to Ellie before she moved back towards her own seat. Several servants brought in trays of food and as they settled them on the table, Ellie realised that some of the food were native to Earth. There was eggs and bacon, as well as boxes of cereal before her.

"Thor told me how your mother was of Midgard so I took the liberty to ask the help to prepare some foods you might be familiar with. I am sure you must miss these," explained Frigga kindly.

"Thank you, it was very thoughtful of you, your highness" thanked Ellie appreciatively. She wondered if she was living in a fairytale as there was no way that Loki's mother could be so approving of her. It was unbelievable.

"You're welcome, Ellie. It's my pleasure. Did I not inform you to call me Frigga?" chided Frigga gently, making Ellie blush.

"Of course, Frigga," amended Ellie.

Satisfied, Frigga then turned to Loki, "Loki, clean yourself up as well."

Ellie was just about to tell the Queen that Loki was unable to remove the stain on his armour due to her enchantment when her eyes zeroed in on his now clean armour. With her jaw dropped, Ellie gasped, "You could clean it the entire time?"

Smirking at her, Loki raised his goblet before bringing to his lips, as if to say yes.

Curious but choosing not to mention anything, Frigga steered Ellie's attention away by asking her who her father was. As time passed, the conversation at the table was predominantly carried out by Frigga and Ellie with Frigga asking her questions about her life.

Loki was perfectly alright with it. He preferred to listen and observe instead as they ate and he was content to see the two women he cared about getting along so well with each other. Especially with Ellie, Loki was glad to see her opening up to his mother as he knew that she had been deprived of motherly love ever since her mother passed away.

"So, how did the two of you meet?" asked Frigga, addressing Loki directly for the first time.

Ellie froze and she looked at Loki uncomfortably, wondering if he was going to talk about her bawling her eyes out that day at the lake.

Fortunately, he did not.

"It was actually because of you, mother. Remember the day you took me out to see the market place and I wandered off? Well, I was walking in the forest when I saw my first unsuspecting victim of mischief for that day by the stream– a four foot nine girl, Ellie. I pushed her into the river and she laughed at my trick in joy instead of being outraged," recounted Loki to his mother.

Smiling fondly, Ellie teased, "Yes, and when he found out that I could do magic as well, he could not resist my charms."

Loki raised his eyebrow and scoffed, "Really? I beg to differ. I thought it was the other way around, you saw my devilishly handsome face and you were absolutely enamoured."

Frigga chuckled softly at the playful conversation going on in front of her. She had never seen her son so at ease with another person other than herself before. Even around Odin, she knew that Loki had always felt slightly out of place and that he was always more focused on trying to impress his father.

After bantering back and forth for a while, Ellie regained her senses and realised that Frigga was still there. It was as though the world faded around her whenever she was talking to Loki because to her, he held the world in the palm of his hands. Her heart beat wildly within her chest as the romantic sentiments she had towards Loki returned to her at once.

Blushing profusely, Ellie turned her gaze to Frigga and concluded, "I knew that we were going to be the best of friends there and then because he knew that I was a sorceress and half human and he still stayed."

It had been a pivotal point in both Ellie and Loki's life and they were grateful for it. Loki nodded in agreement with Ellie's words and they both waited for Frigga's response.

"I think it's marvellous that both of you have found companionship in each other. I always thought that Loki would spend the rest of his life alone."

"Mother!" shouted Loki, embarrassed.

Ellie threw her head back in laughter and the rest of their conversation flowed easily. Most of the following conversation was light hearted and amusing because it involved Frigga recounting tales of Loki's childhood, making Loki extremely mortified.

It was a pleasant experience for Ellie as she talked to Queen and she was glad that Thor had pushed forward their inevitable meeting. On the other side of the spectrum, Ellie knew that her father was bound to find out about her friendship with Loki and boy, she was not excited at that prospect because she knew that he was not going to be happy with her keeping it from him. However, she would cross the bridge when it comes. For now, Ellie just relished in the presence of Loki and Frigga. And before either of them knew it, their lunch was over and Frigga had left them to their own devices.

"That wasn't so bad," commented Ellie to Loki as she admired the flowers in the garden during their stroll.

"It was absolutely mortifying towards the end, I am in disbelief that mother actually told you the tales of my childhood!" refuted Loki, indignant.

"Come on, you must have been adorable as a child. I can imagine you strolling about in your underwear as a little tyke! What a sight it must have been!" said Ellie as she picked up another flower to smell.

When she did not hear a response, Ellie turned around and she found Loki standing a few feet away from her with his head down.

Strolling over to him in worry, Ellie tugged at his hand. "Are you honestly that upset me hearing those stories from your mother? Did you not want me to?"

Loki mumbled something incoherently and Ellie moved her hand to raise his chin up. "What did you say?"

Resigned, Loki looked up into Ellie's greenish hazel eyes and answered sadly, "It's not that. I just didn't want you to have a bad impression of me."

Feeling her heart clench, Ellie moved to embrace Loki. Then she waited for him to look up at her before she said, "Oh Loki, nothing could ever make me think badly of you. Maybe if you hurt me intentionally, I would not be impressed. But your past doesn't and childhood tales definitely would not make me judge you."

Loki still seemed unsure and he muttered, "Are you certain?"

"Yes, besides I thought you must have been adorable. Come on, if I wanted to be friends with you when you pushed me into the stream, why would I change my mind over your past? You accepted me for who I was and I'm definitely doing the same for you," assured Ellie, firmly.

Closing his eyes, Loki clutched Ellie tightly.

Only yesterday it was him who was comforting her. But now at this moment, it was him who was insecure and vulnerable. Oh how the tables had turned.

Then Loki felt Ellie's soft lips upon his forehead and he felt his heart flutter. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips and all he could think about was the fact that he could now confirm his feelings for her.

He was already in love with Ellie and he wanted nothing more than to feel her lips on his own.

**Author's note:**

**Hey guys, I hoped you like the chapter! Woohoo Loki definitely knows his feelings for Ellie now **** Thanks for reading! I really do appreciate it! **

**Please leave a review to let me know what you want to read in the next chapter or just to tell me how to improve! I'd appreciate it very much. You guys are awesome! Every follow/review/favourite motivates me to write **** Thank you so much.**

**-Gabby **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"What troubles you so?" asked Ellie as she laid beside Loki on the grass.

Loki glanced up at the vast night sky filled with stars before closing his eyes for a moment in reminiscence of the first time the both of them had stargazed together. He recalled the times where things were much easier and he longed for those simple times once more.

Sighing, Loki replied, "My father announced that he would be choosing one of us to ascend the throne in a matter of weeks."

"And you're worried about not getting chosen?" guessed Ellie as she gazed at his chiselled face sideways.

"Partly," admitted Loki before he paused briefly and continued, "I have always wanted to be Thor's equal and I fear that proving myself as a worthy king is the only way to do so."

Upon hearing Loki's words, Ellie sat up and manoeuvred her body in such a way that she was sitting directly in front of him. She then waited for him to fully fix his eyes on her before she said sincerely, "It does not matter to me if you are made king or not. And I am sure it matters not to your father. Surely he will love you both the same."

Loki gave Ellie a sad smile. "Perhaps. But I have always felt like I was living in the shadow of Thor's greatness. My father only has eyes for him and I am certain Thor is going to be king."

"Oh Loki," comforted Ellie. "The two of you are individuals in your own ways. Thor is someone who uses brute force to get his way whilst you are someone who thinks quickly on their feet. Both of you have admirable traits fit for a king and I am certain your father is down to the wire right now trying to decide who will succeed him in the throne."

How Loki wished Ellie's words were true for it was what he had always wanted. But he knew better. Thor had always been Odin's favourite and even though Loki had proven himself on multiple occasions, it was never enough.

"Thor is the reason why my parents decided to have another child and I am the reason why they kept it at two," whispered Loki as though he truly believed his words to justify everything.

To say that Ellie was shocked was an understatement. In all her years as Loki's best friend, she had never seen him look so defeated. Insecurity surmounted him and what kind of friend would she be if she let him wallow in his self-pity?

The last meltdown she had ever witnessed in Loki was after her lunch with Frigga the previous week. She had thought the storm to have passed as he had reverted back to his usual cheeky self. It was not until Odin had demanded the presence of both sons in the throne room earlier this morning that the grey clouds reappeared.

Loki did not tell her the full story of what his father had said but the dark look upon his face was indication enough that something was not quite right. Ellie did not want to push him and so she had whisked him away to the field on the outskirts of town in hopes of relieving his worry.

However, her plan did not work out as well as she had wished for as Loki was still rather withdrawn until just now where he basically bared his heart and his insecurity.

Determined to convince Loki of his self-worth, Ellie grabbed his arm to prop him up in an unexpected fluid movement, stunning Loki for a short moment. Before he had a chance to say anything, Ellie was right in his face.

"Don't you ever, ever make yourself out to be so unworthy, do you hear me?" growled Ellie angrily as she pointed her finger at his chest. When Loki did not respond due to his astonishment at her sudden anger, Ellie repeated her words, enunciating every syllable slowly but clearly. "I said, do you hear me?"

At a loss for words, Loki only managed to choke out a small yes before he was once again the line of fire. Ellie was fired up and she was not going to let Loki talk down to himself.

"You're one of the smartest, most cunning and talented people I know. You're extremely proficient in magic and you're definitely a skilled warrior. I think you would make a wise king and if anyone is going to give Thor a run for his money, it's you," said Ellie sincerely as she attempted to convince Loki.

Stunned, Loki replied, "I am truly at a loss for words. My dearest Ellie, you never cease to amaze me with your words of comfort. How is it possible for someone to have such a pure heart and yet care about such a tainted person like me?"

Ellie gazed into his green eyes firmly and she assured him, "You are not evil, Loki. And I believe that you are worth it. If your father truly does not sense your worth, then I say screw him."

Barking out a laugh, Loki managed a warm smile for the first time in that night, "Thank you, Ellie. You truly are the only light in the darkness of my blasphemy. What would I ever do without your refreshing presence and smart mouth?"

Looking up to the sky, Ellie hummed, pretending to be deep in thought before she responded with a teasing smile, "I don't know. I think you might die actually."

"Are you certain about that? I am a god after all," grinned Loki with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I am the most enchanting creature in all of Asgard, how could you ever deny me?" joked Ellie with a wink.

Ellie had a knack for changing a tense and depressing situation into a light-hearted and joyous one and Loki had never been more appreciative of that than right now. He was extremely grateful to have Ellie and as he gazed upon her beautiful smiling face, he knew that her jest was right.

"You are truly beyond words, Ellie," admitted Loki sincerely as he revelled in her presence.

Flushing, Ellie looked away from Loki's intense gaze as she felt hear heartbeat speed up. She suddenly noticed how close they were to each other as she could feel his warm breath brush past her.

The faint humming of his heart beat made her blush even more as thoughts of him kissing her filled her head. Why was she feeling this way again? She thought she would have been over her school girl crush by now.

Ellie thought that the temperature surrounding the two of them increased drastically suddenly and she felt her stomach wind up in knots even more. When she dared to take a peek at Loki's face once more, she found him with glazed eyes, staring at her. He seemed to be mentally debating something in his head and before she could ask him what it was, she felt herself pulled even closer to Loki by him.

They were so close to each other that she could feel his breath on her cheek and she felt her lips part slightly as she looked into his bright emerald eyes that seemed to be illuminated by the moon in the night.

Loki watched as Ellie licked her lips and he found his willpower and control slipping even more. When he found Ellie with a glazed look mirroring his own and the hunger evident in her eyes, Loki's control snapped.

Closing the distance between the two of them, Loki captured Ellie's warm inviting lips with his own. At first, Ellie was unsure of what to do but then she relinquished all control and gave in to her feelings. She responded to the kiss with equal fervour and the euphoria she felt overcome her was overwhelming.

It was the same for Loki. As he moved his lips against Ellie's, he thought his heart was going to burst from happiness. The spark he felt with her ignited a passion within him and he was certain that they would end up doing more than kissing.

However, he was nothing if not a gentleman. Ellie was a woman who deserved to be honoured and treated respectfully. She was priceless to Loki and he intended to treat her like the jewel she was. Pulling away from their kiss gently, Loki held onto Ellie's hands as he waited for their laboured breathing to slow down for a few minutes.

"Wow," murmured Ellie when she finally found her breath.

"Wow indeed," chuckled Loki as a warm smile broke out on his face in pure joy.

Noticing Loki's smiling face, Ellie felt her heart soar with hope that perhaps a romantic relationship with her best friend did not seem so far-fetched after all. Her heart was beating thunderously against her chest and she could not prevent the slight fear and insecurity from creeping back.

"You don't regret that, do you?" asked Ellie tentatively with a worried expression etched onto her face.

Astonished that she would even suggest such a thing, Loki shook his head vigorously in hopes of convincing her otherwise.

"No, of course not. My only regret is not having asked to court you properly before I kissed you," replied Loki sincerely as he moved his thumb over Ellie's rosy cheek, stroking her lightly.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Ellie closed her eyes and revelled in the feeling of Loki's touch. She had never felt more liberated and exhilarated than at that moment itself.

"I'm glad, I don't regret it either," murmured Ellie with a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"You are so beautiful. The beauty of all the nine realms combined pale in comparison to you," murmured Loki, entranced by her beauty that was even more prominent with the luminescent light of the night sky.

Ellie blushed but otherwise, did not respond.

"I speak the truth, my dear Ellie," insisted Loki before he held her face gently with both palms of his hands, making it impossible for Ellie to look away. He continued, "I wish to court you, if you may allow me to."

Ellie's eyes snapped open to stare at Loki and she felt tears of joy brimming at the corners of her eyes. "Yes! Yes, yes,yes! A thousand times yes, Loki."

Placing a stand of her dark hair behind her ear, Loki wiped her tears away with the pad of his thumb as he soothed her. "Shh… this is a happy occasion. I am the luckiest aesir in all of Asgard and I must thank my lucky stars for that chance meeting with you all those years ago."

Wrapping his arms around her, Loki then pressed his lips to Ellie's forehead in contentment. He truly wished to stay in that moment forever – locked in Ellie's embrace. Her mere presence brought him so much joy that he thought his heart was going combust from the overload of feelings he had at the moment.

Ellie glanced up at Loki's loving gaze and her heart swelled.

"My mother always said that our fates are written in the stars. I never truly believed her words until I met you. I think you're right Loki, I must thank my lucky stars for that chance meeting with you all those years ago as well," told Ellie to Loki as she rested her head on his chest in contentment.

They stayed together out in the field the entire night, never once letting go of one another, out of sight to everyone but one.

Heimdall stood in his usual position in the observatory as he witnessed the blossoming of the two sorcerer's relationship. He had always been watching over them and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips just like the day he first witnessed their meeting all those years ago.

It was truly a sight to behold. Deciding to provide them with due privacy, Heimdall switched his wandering gaze to the rest of the cosmos when a pair of footsteps approached him.

"How can I be of service, Lady Frigga?" asked Heimdall without moving from his position at all.

"Nothing ever gets past you, dear Heimdall," chuckled Frigga before her gaze turned serious. "How fares Loki? He has not returned since my husband told him and Thor of the upcoming coronation this morning."

"He is currently with Lady Casimir. Rest assured your highness. Loki is more content than he has ever been in a long time," said Heimdall as his golden eyes flickered over to Frigga's.

Upon seeing Frigga's still worried gaze, Heimdall put a smile on his face and added, "And it seems that you might not have to wait long for a new daughter to join the family."

This time, Heimdall's words had its desired effect on Frigga as it a small smile appear on her face.

**Author's note:**

**Hey guys, two updates in one day! :P**

**Yay! Haha I was re watching Thor and I got so inspired to write about Loki wanting the throne after watching the scene of him and Thor as a kid. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Do let me know what you think, please **

**It always motivates me to write faster and it helps me improve.**

**Thank you so much once again!**

**Till next time,**

**-Gabby. **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Sif was startled to see the half-midgardian – Galadriel, when she entered the training arena. She had not expected to see the dainty looking woman any time soon ever since her recent break down and she had thought that she would have chosen to avoid them.

Curious, Sif's eyes scanned the room for signs of Loki and when she found none, she chose to lean against a nearby pillar to observe the young woman.

Ellie had been in the arena since the early morning to practice her sorcery by warming up with a few simple spells. However, as time went by, the bow and arrows as well as daggers left behind by their previous owners captivated her. Drawn in by those weapons since she had not touched them for quite a fair while, one thing led to another and Ellie was now tossing daggers effortlessly at the centre of the targets.

Sif watched on for a little while with incredulous eyes in disbelief. She had not expected the tiny companion of Loki's to be so well trained in battle as she seemed rather fragile the last time Sif had met her. It was astounding how vastly different the woman's demeanour was now compared to the previous time.

Galadriel was ruthless as she threw a dagger after another at each of the target boards respectively. Even when she ran out of daggers and was panting furiously, she reached out her hand for the bow and arrows to continue her assault on the targets like she was eager to cause harm. It was unnerving.

_Perhaps she is more than she appears to be, _thought Sif as she watched the fiery aesir unleash her wrath on the unsuspecting objects. Only when the aesir paused for a short moment to take a few deep breaths did Sif make her presence known.

"That was impressive. I did not know you were trained in combat as well," commented Sif as she walked calmly into the edge of the arena, making herself visible to Ellie.

Ellie froze when she heard a voice echo throughout the room, not knowing that she had an audience the entire time.

"My father taught me a few things," answered Ellie warily. Pausing for a moment, she added, "As did Loki."

Sif raised an eyebrow but otherwise, remained impassive. "Ah, I see."

"Can I help you with anything?"

Ignoring her question, Sif walked towards Ellie until she was right in front of her. "So you must be a rather proficient warrior then?"

Ellie tensed and leaned back slightly, uncomfortable with their close proximity. Sif was rather intimidating and standing next to her, she towered over Ellie's five foot two form by at least half a head. It scared Ellie a little and all the confidence she had during her practice earlier was all gone.

"Not as good as you, I would assume," answered Ellie carefully as she eyed the sword that Sif had one arm on in her belt, wary of things turning awry. She really did not want to fight a losing battle against Sif right now.

Upon hearing Ellie's tone of voice, Sif realised that she had scared Ellie and that had not been her intention at all. Wanting to ease the tension between them, Sif took a few steps back. "Forgive me if I had frightened you, Galadriel. It was not in my intention to look for a fight. I only wished to get to know you better. It is rare for female aesirs to know how to hold a dagger, much less be a warrior."

Releasing breath she did not even know she had been holding, Ellie's shoulders slackened. Gazing up at Sif's guilty face, she took a deep breath and decided to take a leap of faith.

Ellie held her hand out towards Sif. "It's alright. I guess we can be friends."

When she saw Sif's puzzled expression, Ellie explained further with a small smile, "You're supposed to take my hand, silly."

Still confused, Sif reached her hand forward to hold Ellie's and she wondered aloud, "What is the purpose of this hand holding?"

Beaming, Ellie replied, "It's called a handshake and it a human thing! It's customary for people to shake each other's hands when they become friends – well not all the time, but you get what I mean. And since we're friends now, this is what we gotta do."

The word 'friends' made Sif happy on the inside even though a calm façade was still present on her face. She never had another female friend before because most of the ladies of Asgard thought her to be outrageous, ill-mannered and ill-bred due to her choice to be a warrior. Ellie's easy acceptance of her was pleasantly surprising but she was not going to voice her feelings just yet.

"You are an odd one, Galadriel," said Sif with a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Please, call me Ellie," chirped Ellie before she winked cheekily with a smirk that could rival Loki's. Gesturing towards Sif herself, Ellie then added, "Besides, strange people have even stranger friends."

Throwing her head back in laughter, Sif finally allowed a huge smile to break out on her face. "Perhaps you are right."

"'I always am," stated Ellie matter-of-factly in a teasing tone of voice.

Sif smiled. "I think that we will get along just fine."

Then, Ellie watched as Sif placed her right hand over her heart and her eyes met the gaze of the serious warrior's.

"I give you my word that you will have my unwavering loyalty towards you," vowed Sif diligently.

Unsure of what to do, Ellie only managed an awkward nod of acceptance before she managed to reply, "I-er vow to be a true friend to you too? Am I doing this right? Is this a warrior's oath or something?"

Barking out a laugh, Sif removed her hand and shook her head. "No, that was my way of telling you that we will get along just fine. Your response was unrequired but nonetheless, always welcomed."

"Oh," said Ellie, dumbly.

With nothing else to say, the two of them lapsed into an awkward silence. Ellie wrecked her brain desperately in search of a topic to speak about to Sif but instead, found her mind coming up blank.

Luckily for her though, she did not have to say anything as the sound of multiple footsteps echoed throughout the training arena before the figures of Thor, Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun came into view followed by Loki being the last to enter.

"Ah Sif! There you are! My fellow friends and I were thinking of sparring! Perhaps you could join us as well!" said Thor merrily, an ever present grin etched onto his face.

He marched up towards Sif to grab her arm in excitement but halted when he spotted Ellie standing beside her. "Ellie! You are here as well! This is marvellous! Perhaps you could spar with us as well!"

Loki's eyes widened when he realised Ellie was present in the arena but he managed to compose his face quickly before anyone else noticed. His heart sped up at the sight of her and he could not help but recall the events of the night before. Just knowing that Ellie shared the same sentiments towards him as he did towards her was enough to send a jolt throughout his body in euphoria. He was ecstatic but yet still in disbelief that someone like Ellie could care about someone like him.

"It's alright, Thor. I think I'll just watch today," answered Ellie with a gentle smile.

Unexpectedly, she felt herself engulfed in a bear crushing hug by Thor. "Lady Ellie, I must apologize immensely for upsetting you the last time we met. I did not mean to make you cry. I knew naught about the passing of your mother and I endeavour to seek your forgiveness."

Ellie felt like she was suffocating in his tight grip but she managed to choke out, "I-it's a-alright."

Having watched their entire exchange, a deep scowl formed on Loki's face as he waved his hand to summon his magic. Teleporting to where Thor was standing, Loki slapped Thor on his back. Hard.

"You blithering fool! Can't you see that you are choking Ellie to death."

Cringing from the sting of his brother's slap, Thor sheepishly set Ellie down on her feet with as much care as he could to prevent further harm upon her. "My apologies once again, Ellie. It seems that I always forget how susceptible you are to harm, given your Midgardian heritage."

Catching her breath, Ellie gave Thor a small smile before waving him off with one arm. "It's alright, really. You just forget how strong you are sometimes, I understand that."

Thor beamed brightly upon hearing Ellie's forgiveness and he could not help but engulf her in another hug, this time less tightly. "Thank you, friend Ellie. You are truly as pure as the goddess Idunn herself."

Patting his back lightly, Ellie felt her cheeks burn as she pulled away from their embrace. Biting the inside of her cheek, Ellie gazed at Thor's bearish face with a small smile and she thanked him graciously, happy that any animosity between them had been settled.

However, for Loki, it was another case as he felt himself become more agitated by the second. Watching Thor and Ellie laughing and talking to each other right in front of him ignited a foreign sick feeling within his stomach and he could not hold back the irrational jealousy he felt. Why did Thor always manage to take the things he wanted the most away from him?

Scowling darkly, Loki glared daggers at Thor whilst possessively pulling Ellie to his side.

"If you are done with your attempts to flirt with Ellie, perhaps you should get on with your sparring, _brother,"_ spat out Loki, furious.

Taken aback by the amount of venom present in Loki's tone, Ellie and Thor both glanced at him in shock and puzzlement.

"I was merely apologizing to Ellie, brother," explained Thor as he took a step towards Loki with his hands raised slightly in surrender.

"Good for you. Now that that is over and done with, you are free to go and play with your friends over there. I am certain that they hate to be kept waiting," replied Loki coldly as he gestured to where Sif and the Warriors Three were standing at.

"Aren't you coming, brother?"

Rolling his eyes, Loki replied much more calmly this time, "I will be, but I wish to speak with Ellie first."

Thor's eyes flickered over to Loki's tight grip on Ellie's arm before he nodded and stepped away, not wanting to worsen the situation.

As soon as Thor was a considerable distance away, Ellie murmured, "Loki, can you let go of my arm, please?"

Loki's anger faded away the moment he realised that he was hurting the girl he loved and he let go of her arm instantly. "I'm sorry."

Loki had been filled with so much rage when he saw Thor hugging Ellie and all he wanted to do was beat him up for even daring to look at her. He probably would have done that if Ellie was not beside him.

However, now that his head was much clearer, Loki realised that what he had just experienced had been jealousy. The fact that he had acted so recklessly just now towards Ellie and Thor made him no better than the monsters parents told their children at night. He was filled with immense guilt at what he had done and he could not help but be angry at himself.

Noticing Loki's pained guilt ridden expression, Ellie raised her right hand and rested it upon his cheek, stroking him lightly like he did for her the night before.

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Loki. You didn't inflict any permanent damage," assured Ellie with a soft smile.

Loki closed his eyes and leaned into Ellie's touch. "I hurt you."

"You didn't mean it," said Ellie as she used the pads of her thumbs to wipe away the slight tears brimming at the corner of his eyes. "I know you would never hurt me intentionally, Loki. I trust you."

"I'm truly sorry, Ellie, will you ever forgive me?" begged Loki as he opened his eyes to gaze into hers.

"Oh Loki, there's nothing to forgive," assured Ellie as she leaned her forehead against his. "I know how riled up you get around Thor and honey, you need to learn to control your anger a bit more. But we all make mistakes once in a while and I know you didn't mean it. Besides, I think it's your brother you need to apologise to, not me. You were rather harsh on him."

Chuckling softly, Loki raked his eyes over Ellie's beautiful face. Her dark lashes fluttered with each blink of her eyes and the freckles she had splayed across her button nose and cheeks made her unique beauty stand out even more to him. In addition to that, her kind heart was enamouring and Loki could not help but fall in love with her even more.

"How did I get so lucky to find such a rare gem like you?" murmured Loki with hooded eyes.

Ellie blushed but did not respond. Instead, feeling confident, she leaned forward and pressed her lips onto Loki's, capturing him in deep kiss in which he responded with equal fervour.

Both of them poured their hearts and souls into that kiss to convey the depth of their feelings towards each other. As their lips moulded and moved with each other's, their hearts were beating erratically in their chests. Time stood still in that moment and everything else faded away. Nothing mattered more to either of them than each other.

This time, Ellie was the first to pull away from their kiss with a gasp for air. As her eyes fell on Loki, she prided herself in the fact that he was equally breathless and it was because of her. She was glad that she was not alone in her feelings and she definitely could not wait to do that again.

Loki gave Ellie a crooked smile as he brushed his hand against her cheek gently, "That was beyond words, Ellie."

Blushing, Ellie whispered, "I'm glad."

Then, she glanced at her surroundings out of the corner of her eye and could not help the smirk which made its way onto her face. "However, it seems that we have gathered a small audience though."

Loki's eyes widened as realisation struck that Thor and his friends had been nearby the entire time and had most likely witnessed their display of affection for each other. Turning his head to the direction where he thought them to be, Loki groaned as he imagined the upcoming interrogation he would have to face.

Because standing a few feet away from Ellie and Loki were more people than either of them had expected. Instead, in addition to Thor, Sif and the Warriors Three, Odin, Frigga and Ellie's father – Sir Lancelot, stood there with different expressions upon their faces. And boy, Sir Lancelot did not look happy.

**Author's note:**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing the previous chapters! I appreciate it! I hope you liked this chapter! Let me know what you think, please! ;)**

**You guys are awesome!**

**Till next time,**

**Gabby**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note**

**Hey guys, here's a new chapter! I hope it was worth the wait!^^**

**Anyways, I just wanted to warn ya'll that there's some expletives used here so if you don't want to read anything like that, then it's your chance to back out :) If not, enjoy the story then!**

Chapter Eight

Ellie watched quietly as her father paced back and forth repeatedly, practically wearing a hole in the carpet. He had not spoken a word to her at all since he, along with the Allfather and Frigga had caught her immersed in her display of affection with Loki. A permanent frown had marred his face ever since he had dragged her back to their room and if it was possible, Ellie bet that her father would probably have steam coming out of his ears in his rage.

Unable to stand the uncomfortable silence any longer, Ellie murmured softly, "Daddy?"

Lancelot glanced at his daughter's petrified face and schooled his features into a less tense one as he attempting to calm his anger.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed deeply.

"What were you thinking, Galadriel?" asked Lancelot as he enunciated every syllable tersely.

"I-I…well, Loki's first and foremost my best friend…" trailed off Ellie as she cringed at how bad her explanation came out. But before she could rectify the situation, her father erupted in anger.

"Best friend?" roared Lancelot, outraged. "People do not become best friends with someone else they meet overnight and they certainly do not end up in lip lock together!"

"I didn't meet Loki overnight! I've known him for a long time!"

"What do you justify as a long time? A week, perhaps two?" refuted Lancelot with a raised eyebrow before he continued on with his rant. "See, Galadriel, situations like these cause me to ponder and question myself. Have I been too lenient on you since your mother's death?"

"No!" denied Ellie as she tried to reason with her father but he just would not let her.

"Have I given you any reason to go behind my back for such matters like this? Why do you insist on bringing me such troubles by fornicating with the prince? Can you truly comprehend the severity of your actions?"

"Daddy!" shouted Ellie, finally grabbing Lancelot's attention with the frantic wave of her arms. She was adamant to not let her father talk down about her relationship with Loki. She knew what she had with Loki was worth much more than he was making it out to be.

He paused and took a deep breath, looking at his daughter's green eyes which was the exact same shade as his, wondering what excuse she was possibly going to come with.

Ellie met her father's eyes in challenge before she opened her mouth to speak. "I met Loki about 10 years ago, father, on the day of mother's passing."

Shocked, Lancelot stared at his daughter in disbelief before he motioned for her to continue.

"I was so upset that I ran to the forest and that was where I met him. He comforted me and we hung out all day. I didn't know that he was the prince at first but when everything came to light the next time we met, we grew closer as friends," explained Ellie in a single breath as she paused to look at her father's expression.

Lancelot's anger faltered but he still asked stoically, "And what of your erm…intimate relationship with him?"

It was quite a feat for Lancelot to get that sentence out in the open as the topic of Galadriel's virtue was definitely not one he wanted to particularly discuss at the moment. However, it was definitely a matter of importance. Even though Lancelot knew that it was not uncommon for premarital sex – as his late wife would phrase it, to occur, the thought of anyone touching his daughter made his blood boil tremendously.

Blushing furiously, Ellie choked out, "Y-you definitely don't have to worry about that."

Embarrassed and absolutely mortified, Ellie eyes glanced at everything else but her father. She could not believe that she was actually discussing her virtue with her dad – an Asgardian god who was probably at least a millennium in age.

"Ellie, being with your mother has taught me many things, namely to be open minded. I am neither angry nor upset about the loss of your virtue, but rather, your choice in consort is what gravely concerns me."

"I can't believe I'm talking about this with you," muttered a red faced Ellie as she stared down at her feet awkwardly.

"I am serious, daughter. I do not wish to see you scathed by the emotional harm the young prince is sure to bestow upon you if he tires of your body," stated Lancelot firmly. "Perhaps it is best if you put an end to whatever agreement you have with him now before anything escalates further."

Ellie's eyes shot open in realisation as the depth of her father's words really sunk in. He thought they were _fuck buddies?_

Thoroughly amused, Ellie burst out in a fit of laughter.

"I fail to sense the humour in this, Galadriel," stated her father dryly with a tinge of worry evident in his eyes.

"S-sorry daddy," apologised Galadriel between gasps before she managed to regain some composure. "But you got this all wrong! I'm still a virgin!"

Unconvinced, Lancelot grimaced. "You do not have to lie to me, Ellie. You are a beautiful girl and it would be foolish of me to expect you to remain virtuous until marriage in this current century. Your mother and I certainly had intimate relations with each other before we were married and I would not be mad if you did."

"This is the most awkward conversation ever but daddy, I'm not lying. I really am a virgin. And Loki and I aren't 'friends with benefits' either. Rather, he has expressed his wish to court me, father," explained Ellie quickly, still mortified. Her father mentioning her mother having sex with him before marriage had been totally unnecessary but now that that piece of information was out, Ellie was scarred for life.

She blanched at the thought of her parents even having sex at all and she really wanted to die in a hole right now.

"Truly?" asked Lancelot with a serious note in his eyes. He desperately wanted to believe his daughter's words but many doubts still plagued his mind.

"Truly," affirmed Ellie as best she could. "Queen Frigga already knows about our friendship and I'm sure Loki is telling his mother about our courtship as we speak."

Her father's eyes narrowed.

"Are you certain that he was being sincere?"

"Yes, I believe him," said Ellie before she added with a roll of her eyes, "And besides, he's not as bad as everyone makes him out to be."

_Is he even capable of sincerity?_ Lancelot thought to himself. He was still distrustful of Loki's intention towards his daughter but he could not deny the relief he felt in knowing that Ellie was still pure. It was as though a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders and one could not fault him for being protective of Ellie.

However, deciding not to upset his beloved daughter and to not pass judgement until he met Loki, Lancelot replied, "Well, I truly hope he lives up to your praises, Ellie. I am certainly most ah – eager, to meet him."

Eyes widening at her father' easy acceptance of her relationship with Loki, Ellie could not hold back the bright smile that lit up her face.

"Thank you, daddy!" exclaimed Ellie happily as she wrapped her hands around the large stature of her father, her head barely reaching his chin. "You have no idea how happy you've made me."

Lancelot patted Ellie's back soothingly, "Let me formally introduce myself to the prince first and he, to me before you jump up in joy at my perceived acceptance of him. He has yet to past my test, darling."

Ellie's eyebrows shot up as she pulled away, confused. "Test? What test?"

Quirking his lip slightly, Lancelot replied nonchalantly with a glint in his eyes, "He must first and foremost conquer me in a duel."

"Daddy!" exclaimed Ellie in shock.

"How can I entrust my daughter's hand over to someone else if he is unable to defend himself? It would be a blasphemy!" justified Lancelot logically as he glanced at his finger nails nonchalantly.

If possible, Ellie's face paled further.

Lancelot was the highest ranking general and commander of the Asgardian army and of course, he was more than adept in his combat and fighting skills. Loki surely stood no chance in spite of his mastery of sorcery and the mere thought of either of the men she cared about being hurt in a battle against each other made her stomach twist in knots as well.

However, Lancelot broke out in loud guffaws of laughter upon glancing at his daughter's horrified expression.

"I was only jesting!" snorted Lancelot before he added, "Odin would undoubtedly have my head for harming his second heir to the throne. Fret not, my dear."

"I fail to sense the humour in this, father," said Ellie dryly as she repeated her father's words from earlier. Her racing heart slowed down as her tense posture relaxed in relief.

Lancelot continued chuckling for a minute at his daughter's expense before his expression finally morphed into a serious one.

He made sure that Ellie's attention was fully on him before he promised darkly, "I would not jeopardise our lives over such a matter but know this, Ellie. If Loki harms even a mere strand of hair on your head, not even Odin himself would have the power to stop me from unleashing Ragnarok upon the nine realms until justice has been served."

Knowing that her father was deadly serious this time, Ellie mustered a small smile as she pulled him in for another hug, "I know, father. But fret not. I do not foresee Loki bestowing any intentional harm upon me in the near future. You have nothing to worry about."

Lancelot wrapped his arms around his youthful daughter's form and closed his eyes, returning her embrace gently. His response held back in his mind.

_I know, it's the possibility of unintentional hurt which worries me. _

Ellie's conversation with her father marked the beginning of the official announcement of her courtship with Loki. Whilst Ellie proceeded on to let her father know about minor details of her relationship with Loki, Loki did the same with his father.

And by the following day, the news had spread like a wildfire. Aesirs throughout Asgard began to hear rumours of the dark prince being besotted and enraptured by a pure beauty whilst people living and working within the palace learned of the official courtship. It was such a popular topic of conversation amongst everyone that even Odin himself, decided to take on the responsibility of hosting a ball in celebration of Ellie and Loki's relationship.

Needless to say, everyone but Loki and Ellie themselves were pleased.

Ellie was worried, even more so than Loki.

"Your father is hosting a _what?_" asked Ellie with wide eyes.

Loki smirked at her 'deer in headlights' look but humoured her nonetheless.

"A ball, my dear," placated Loki, earning him an eye roll from Ellie.

"Yeah I got that, but really? Do I look like I'm royalty material?" retorted Ellie with a snort. "I'm going to fall flat on my face within the first two seconds of the first dance and everyone's going to laugh at me."

Loki smiled at Ellie tenderly as he caressed her face in his hands, "You will be the most mesmerising maiden at the ball, Ellie. I have no doubt about that. All of the fairest beauties in the nine realms pale in comparison to you."

Despite the small blush appearing on her cheeks, Ellie's gaze was still sad. "Thank you, Loki. You're too sweet. But really, what if everyone hates me?"

"They would be foolish to do that," stated Loki firmly as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"I'm half human, Loki."

"That matters not to me, and it would certainly not matter to anyone else. You can be fully Midgardian and I would be as besotted just the same."

"I'm serious, Loki. What if they do not accept me? And what if they think I'm a w-whore?" murmured Ellie as she looked into Loki's affectionate gaze.

Loki hissed softly at Ellie's degrading description of herself as he felt his heart clench. She looked so vulnerable and insecure right now and all he wanted to do was shower her in compliments. She truly had no idea how important she was to him and how enamoured he was with her.

"Ellie, your compassion is as vast as the magnificence of the wonders of the nine realms in which your beauty greatly surpasses, if not more. If anyone says otherwise, I will not hesitate to unleash my wrath upon them," promised Loki, intent on lightening Ellie's sour mood.

Even though Loki's words were too dark and melancholic for her liking, Ellie was still extremely touched by the sincerity in his voice. He truly was a godsend and she was never more grateful to have him than in her darkest times.

As she felt his cool breath caress her cheeks, Ellie closed the minimal distance between them and placed her lips softly onto Loki's.

She conveyed all her emotions through that kiss in examination and relished in the sensation of his lips against hers. Loki moved his lip against hers in response immediately but went slowly at her pace, knowing that it was the comfort that Ellie needed at that moment.

Finally, when he could withstand it no longer, Loki placed his hand on the back of Ellie's neck to pull her nearer as he deepened their kiss with intensity and passion.

Although unexpected, it did not take long for Ellie to return his kiss with equal fervour and both of them fought for dominance in the throes of their newfound passion elicited by a simple kiss.

Their actions did not progress beyond that but they remained in each other's arms beneath the apple tree in the royal gardens for the rest of the afternoon, encased in the bliss of their blossoming romance, growing fonder and more certain of their relationship with each other by the second.

They were just Loki and Ellie - two friends and lovers, and nothing else mattered but each other.

The rest of the world could wait, but their love would not.

**Author's note**

**Hey guys! **

**Thanks for following/reviewing/favouriting and of course, reading this chapter! I really appreciate everything it :) You guys are the best and I hope this chapter was to all of your liking. **

**Please do review so that I can know what your thoughts are or if there are areas where I can improve :) It truly motivates me and helps me improve.**

**Thank you so much!**

**Till next time,**

**Gabby**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Ellie stared at her reflection in the mirror and lightly touched the ringlet of brown curl on her shoulder, watching as the image did the same.

She could hardly believe that the beautiful girl reflected in the mirror was her. The girl was flawless, a stark contrast to her usual perceived self. What wonders magic and make up could do! It managed to cover up the usual dark circles under her eyes and the freckles that usually splayed across her face.

And somehow, it made her face glow. Ellie was stunned.

Ellie knew that she looked different from the other female aesirs on Asgard but she never ever thought herself to be beautiful. At most, with her half human/Asian/Aesir parentage, she was perhaps considered exotic or pretty, even. But never beautiful.

Now, as she looked upon the girl wearing the white sleeveless gown with lace trimmings, she let herself hope. Maybe just for tonight, she would be able to pull it off.

Loki walked in his usual regal glory to find his beloved gazing into the mirror and he could not help but marvel at her beauty from afar. The time to make their grand entrance to the ball planned in honour of their relationship was due soon but Loki could spare a few minutes.

He did not make his presence known but instead, set his gaze upon Ellie, observing her. He was at a loss for words at her exemplary beauty which greatly surpassed his expectations for that night. Ellie being dressed in a flattering white laced garment truly made her seem like the angel she was.

Having learned from Ellie about Midgardian weddings and customs, Loki wondered if this was what she would look like walking down the aisle towards him – a true vision in white. However, he shook his head to clear his thoughts of matrimony.

_Isn't it too soon to be thinking of such matters? _Loki wondered, slightly concerned. But he reached into his heart and realised, _No, it wasn't._

A small smile lit up his face as the conversation he had about Ellie with his parents came flooding back into his mind.

"_I can explain," stated Loki, calmly as he watched Ellie's silhouette disappear from his view. His heart was racing even though his face said otherwise. _

_However, before he was able to say anything else, Odin looked at Loki with his one good eye and raised his hand which was not holding Gungnir to stop him midway. _

_Tensing his shoulders, Loki placed both of his hands on the small of his back, preparing himself for a lecture from his father. What else was to be expected? After all, he was not Thor._

_Loki's eyes flickered over to his mothers' and he raised a thin brow as if to convey sarcastically, yes, mother?_

_Frigga shook her head with a gentle smile, undeterred by Loki's cynical attitude and gestured for him to listen to Odin instead. _

_For her sake, he did._

_And Loki did not regret his decision one bit. _

"_There is no need for an explanation, my son," said Odin stoically. "Heimdall has already informed me of your relationship with Lady Casimir."_

_Initially, Loki said nothing but when he realised that his father was waiting for a form of response from him, he managed a small nod and it became the catalyst for the good flow of conversation which proceeded. _

"_I must say that I am most…"said Odin, pausing slightly to think of an appropriate word, "pleased."_

_It was not the most heartening of phrases but coming from Odin – the man who only ever showered Thor with compliments, it was worth a if he heard Odin right, Loki's eyes shot open and he strained his ears to listen vividly to the rest of Odin's speech. _

"_Both Frigga and Heimdall have acquiesced that Galadriel has brought about a positive change within you and I must extend my gratitude towards her for bringing forth a type of maturity in you." _

"_And you believe them?" challenged Loki with a small defiant glint in his eyes when he was finally able to speak._

_Unfazed by his attitude, Odin replied slowly but firmly, "Heimdall sees all and he has been watching over both you and Thor since you were both born. I see no reason to doubt his words. As for your mother, although she is soft on you, I find myself agreeing with her words. You are no longer just a mischief maker. Now, you think with precision before you act and that, my son, is a quality which is most befitting for a wise king."_

_Loki stared at Odin, surprised. Not only was his father readily accepting the prospect of Ellie as his daughter in law, Odin was also indirectly telling him that he was just as capable of ascending to the throne as Thor was. It was surreal. Perhaps, there was hope after all and maybe, just maybe, he stood a chance against his oaf of a brother. _

_His eyes gazed upon his mother's in disbelief as if to ask her if Odin was being himself because there was no way that all the words coming out from his father were true. He must have a motive behind his actions. _

_But yet, as if to dispel Loki's sceptic thoughts, Odin continued, "There is no doubt in my mind that you were born to be a king, my son. You have the aptitude for greatness and I know that Galadriel will help you in your journey to achieve that."_

"_T-thank y-you, father. For once, I am truly at a loss for words," confessed Loki awkwardly. It was such a rare sight to see the Silvertongue without a coherent response and an even rarer sight to see Loki on the receiving end of Odin's pride._

_Odin smiled but his wrinkled face made it seem more like a grimace instead. However Loki knew better and it was enough to make his heart soar. _

"_Yes, Loki. Your father and I are both greatly pleased about the courtship between you and the lovely Galadriel and we want nothing more than to see you both joined in matrimony," said Frigga with a bright smile as she took hold of one of Loki's hand with one of hers whilst the other one was holding onto the arm of Odin's. _

"_Isn't it a little early to be talking about marriage, mother?" refuted Loki even though his heart screamed otherwise._

_Frigga smiled a knowing smile at him. "There are no limits when it comes to love, my son. Never be afraid to do something if you feel strongly about. Of course, if you feel marriage to be too soon, I am content to wait a few more years." _

"_Of course," acquiesced Loki. _

_Just as Loki was about to dismiss himself from the presence of his parents, Odin opened his mouth to speak once more. A tired but exuberant smile etched onto his face. "One last thing, Loki. Your mother and I feel that it is only appropriate for the news of your relationship with Galadriel to be shared with the rest of Asgard. After all, since Sir Lancelot is undoubtedly the best general and commander of our battalion, we think it most befitting to honour his daughter in a grand and elaborate affair."_

_Cringing inwardly as he knows how much Ellie will detest the idea, he plastered a façade of composure and asked, "Of course, what exactly do you have in mind?"_

"_We were hoping to hold a ball in celebration of your courtship with Ellie two nights from now. It will be an elaborate affair but only moderately so. Nobles and their families will be invited, along with our close friends, of course. What say you, Loki?" inquired Frigga._

"_If you wish, mother," conceded Loki as he did not want either of his parents to change their mind. _

_Even though he came off as reluctant, deep down in his heart, Loki was secretly excited to let the nine realms know that Ellie was his. She was everything he could ever ask for and more. She was – _

Loki's reminiscence was abruptly interrupted by the sound of Ellie's pleasant voice.

"Loki, you're here!" squealed Ellie in joy.

The sound of his name coming out of her lips never failed to send pleasant thrills down his spine and it undoubtedly pleased him greatly to see her excitement upon seeing him.

Ellie's eyes raked up and down Loki's form, taking him in. He wore his usual gold and green armour but adorned upon his head was a horned helmet which she knew he only wore on special occasions.

She felt her heart thud dangerously against her chest and butterflies welled up in her stomach at the mere sight of Loki in all his glory. He was so breathtakingly handsome that her knees became a little weak from the flurry of emotions overwhelming her.

Thankfully, she did not fall as Loki had reached her just in time to embrace her in his arms.

"You are a sight to behold, my love," murmured Loki as he breathed her in, placing his hands on her waist.

He examined her face before gazing into her eyes.

"You covered up your freckles," noted Loki with a slight tinge of disappointment.

Ellie looked down at her feet. "Yeah, I didn't want people staring at my abnormality tonight."

Lifting her chin with his fingers, Loki gave her a tender smile. "They are a part of you, Ellie. It does not make you different, it makes you unique. There is no need for you to cover them up."

"I – I don't know."

"It is ultimately up to you, my love. But I think you look beautiful regardless of anything, a few spots on your face will irrefutably not alter my affections towards you and I am certain that the members of court will love you just the same," assured Loki sincerely, placing a tendril of her brown hair behind her ear. What was most endearing about Ellie was perhaps, her humility. And that trait itself, if possible, made Loki love her more.

Ellie searched Loki's eyes for any hint of lie but when she found none, she conceded. Closing her eyes for a few seconds and muttering an enchantment under her breath, Loki watched attentively as spot after spot began to splay across Ellie's face. When the spell was complete, her nose bridge and her cheeks were dusted with multiple light freckles.

"How do I look?" asked Ellie softly.

"Absolutely ravishing," complimented Loki right before he captured her lips with his own.

As he was about to deepen their kiss, a light knock resounded throughout the room, causing him to pull away to look to the door.

"Yes?" called out Loki, slightly annoyed.

A meek servant's voice echoed throughout the room from the opposite end of the door, "Sorry for the interruption, sire. But your mother sent me to call for you. She said to tell you and Lady Casimir that you are both needed in the grand hall at once as the ball is about to begin."

"Damn," cursed Loki under his breath, making Ellie chuckle at the human word he used. "Tell my mother we are on our way!"

"Of course, my prince," said the voice as the sound of footsteps padding away could be heard.

"Thank you!" shouted Ellie at the servant who was probably long gone by now as she remembered her manners. Loki shook his head at her considerate action but smiled nonetheless.

Annoyance forgotten, Loki placed a chaste kiss on her lips before he walked towards the door and held it open for Ellie to exit. "After you, my lady."

"Why thank you, kind sir," replied Ellie in a teasing tone as she curtseyed slightly, waiting for Loki in the corridor.

Loki smirked in response but otherwise, did not say anything. Instead, he held out his arm for Ellie to link hers with his and flashed an affectionate smile. "Are you ready?"

Ellie laughed lightly and shook her head, "Not one bit. And yourself?"

"A wise king is always ready, my love," smirked Loki from the corner of his eye, making Ellie cough in objection.

He raised an eyebrow in mock hurt before a large grin overtook his face.

"You're right, Ellie. To be honest, I think I might wet myself from the overwhelming nerves I'm feeling right now," whispered Loki as he leaned down right next Ellie's ear as if he was about to tell her a huge secret.

Upon hearing his statement, Ellie threw her head back in laughter right before she lightly smacked Loki's shoulder. "You're so full of shit, Loki."

"But ah, you forget, Ellie. I'm your 'full of shit'," countered Loki, making her laugh even harder at his failed use of the term 'full of shit'. It was amusing but endearing at the same time as she was deeply touched by his inclusion of her in almost every sentence he spoke.

"That you are, slave," chirped Ellie with a smirk before turned her head back towards the front. They were nearing the doors to the grand hall and she had to take a few breaths to calm her heart.

"Fret not, Ellie. I'll be by your side the whole time," assured Loki as he squeezed her hand tightly.

"Thank you, Loki," said Ellie as her eyes flickered over to his once more. "Don't let go of me."

"I don't intend to," answered Loki smoothly and he meant every word.

Right as the large doors began to open; Loki took a deep breath and asked Ellie again, "Are you ready?"

This time, Ellie's eyes looked down to their entwined hands first before she gave him a genuine smile. "Yes, I think I am now."

**Author's note**

**Hey guys! Two updates in one day:P Hehe I just felt like writing so bam, here's another chapter! A major thank you to anyone who reviewed the last chapter :) I really appreciate it. Every follow, review, favourite truly warms my heart. Words can't express how grateful I am for all of you!**

**Please do leave some feedback for this :) **

**Till next time,**

**Gabby**


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